The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-01-31
rrauTISG IErINXrnroS,s. ,
Knights OF Labor Carry the. War Into the
~. Various State Legislatures.

CHICAGO, ILL, Jan. 2u.-lne knightg Of
Labor have declared war upon tho Pinker-
tons and other detective agencies which
mako II business 10 furnish armed pa.
trolmen for service In labor troubles, and
within tho next thirty days bills prohibit.
Ing the importation OF pinkorton detec.
tiyes and making II a penal ollense Tor
any employe Of ouch Agency to exercise
authority as m officer Of the law will ba
introduced In nearly every Stats Leg.
islature which is now In session
In this country. This fact was
learned upon undoubted authority
this morning, and 1t was also developed
that the movement originated In Chicago.
A very bitter feeling has for more than
year been manifestod on tho part Of the
labor element against thedetective agencies
on account Of the promptness with which
armed men have been furnished 10 guard
various places OF business where strikes
have been In operation, and this feeling
has been intensified since the Lake Shore
and stockyards troubles. When the latter
strike was on tho Pinkertons sent several
hundred armed men to the ecene, and the
demonstrations which resulted, aud the
elimination in the shooting Of Terrence
Begley by Pinkerton man, who has never
bceu identified, are matters still freah in
the public mind. la
Shortly after the latter event {. number
oil prominent Knights Of Labor and lead.
era in other labor movements, but their
heads together and determined that thu
time was oppprtuns for An effort 10 clip
the Pinkerton winge through the mo-
! i Is al MI Vn aJtn nj AZ
first proposed to enlist the eoopefation Of
tho Executive Board Of the knights in
| the movement, hut 1t was finally decided
that thia might result in the introduction
Of too much redtspo and allow, cumberous
operations, and 80 the promoters OF the
movement decided to "go it Glow" Con.
Gdential communication was, at once on.
tered into with labor leaders throughout
the country, the operations Of the "private
police" in this city were described,
and the danger OF such q sys.em being
legally recognized was pointed out In
| vivid language. II was declared that the
existence Of ouch system was a stand
ing menace to the working cisuses; that
| it wss in conflict with the written Rnd un-
written constitution OF tho country; that
although yet in ito infancy, it might at
tain formidable dimensions, and that on
the principle that stitch Ia time saves
nine,"is was tho duty OF labor leaders
everywhere, and especially in these
States where tho labor element is repre-
eented in the Legislature, to bring about
the enactment Of such legislation as would
make the "private police business a
thing OF the past. alt
The replies to these communications
were uniformly OF ao encouraging and co.
operative nature, and rs a result OF the
secresy with which the matter has been
conducted, at least two Legislatures have
already been brought face with anti
Pinkerton Legislation. A bill prohibiting
the importation Of Pinkerton detectives
into the State. WIS passed by the lower
House OF the Michigan Legislature on
Tuesday night, and op the Same day
bill WIS introduced in the New Jersey
Assembly providing that nos person
belonging TO the organization COM
monty known as the "Pinkcrton
men," OF the "pinkerton PATROL"
chall exercise in that State any
power as deputy sheriff, policeman or con-
stable, q penalty Of 5000 fine or five
years Improvement being fixed for the
violation Of the Iaw. The New York State
Senate has also unanimously adopted a re-
solution calling npon the District Attor-
ney OF New York TO report if there Is any
authority Tor any ono in the city to carry
arme, except policemen and rilitiamen,
and although this resolution has nomina!
reference to the killing OF a boy by Pinker-
ton men n few days ago, it in reality only
anticipates the introduction Of bill simi.
lar in provisions to the one already refer
red to. Ertat $50 ,la-s.
Measures on the same lines will also be
introduced in the Legislatures of Wiscon.
sin, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Illinois in
the course Of the next two weeks, and
those responsible for the movement say
that even should they fail in some States,
they are confident OF giving the system
severe sst-back. At the headquarters Of
the Pinkertons in this city the movements
in the various Legislatures have OCCASION.
ed considerable uneasinesa. Colonel W,
A. Pinkerton, however, declines to discuss
the question further than to say that he
will abide by whatever bills may become
Inv. III the law sustains me, I will suB.
tain it," he says. -
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